God has been re-emphasizing that His leading us to this place is HIS thing.
One of the huge ways that he did this was by putting on a local Pastor's heart to give 3000 Euros a month (almost $4000) towards us having a building of our own.
With that support we have been searching for a dedicated building that can be used for the different facets of our ministry. From what we felt from the Lord, we were looking for 3 specific things for the building:
1. Must be IN the city of Brussels
2. Must be near a subway or train station
3. Must be able to seat over 500 people.
This was a HUGE order since we were looking in Brussels and large real estate is hard to come by.
Well by God's grace we found an amazing building owned by the Catholic Church. To say that it is PERFECT for what we want to do is beyond an understatement. The Catholic Church heard our proposal and loves what we want to do with the building and are willing to give us a 100 year lease for a FRACTION of the building's value.
The second floor of the building once was a theater and is considered a Historical landmark. Therefore, for every euro we put into the renovations, the city will match it by 4 euros!
Incredible, but of course there is a hitch. The city up until this point has blocked all permits on the building for religious intention. They do not want another Church in this prime location. We are believing for favor that has never before been seen. That the Lord would move on the hearts of the people on the committee and we would be granted permission to occupy the building. We are proposing more along the lines of a Performing Arts School which would encompass the vision for training young people in worship and prayer, as well as discipleship training, the Brussels House of Prayer and using the facility as a networking place for churches and ministries all over Belgium.
We are still a few months from knowing if we will be approved, but immediate prayer is needed.
But in more immediate news, we have been given full use of a large building every Tuesday. Beginning in September, we are launching into a new level of gathering the movers and the shakers of Belgium and all encountering the Presence of God together. We are SOOOO excited about everything that is happening.
It reminds me of that line in C.S. Lewis' Lion Witch in the Wardrobe, "Aslan is on the move." No one at this point knew who Aslan was, but when that line was spoken, there was a birthing of faith and hope. They suddenly could tell by the way their world was shifting, that it was preparing for the return of their King. In that same way, we are saying, "God is on the move!" and feeling that same burst of faith to believe for the impossible. |
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